Why Annual Meetings Matter – And How To Get More Members to Attend Yours

For membership organizations, annual meetings are a cornerstone event – a chance to bring members together, celebrate accomplishments, and set the tone for the year ahead. But with busy schedules and competing priorities, getting members to show up and actively engage can be a challenge.

The good news is that a well-planned annual meeting not only fills seats but also inspires trust, strengthens relationships, and reminds members why they’re part of your organization. In this guide, we’ll explore why annual meetings matter and offer proven tips to increase attendance.

Why Do Annual Meetings Matter?

Sure, your bylaws or state regulations might require an annual meeting. However, annual meetings have a lot of value beyond simple compliance. Instead of treating annual meetings as an event on the calendar, successful member organizations treat them as a cornerstone of member engagement.

Annual meetings have many benefits, including:

• Better member engagement: Engaged members are the sign of a thriving organization. Providing a platform for members to connect with leadership and each other deepens their sense of belonging in the organization.
• Improving transparency: The annual meeting allows leaders to get some much-needed face time with members. It’s helpful to put a face to a name, especially in large organizations, so including leadership in the annual meeting is a must for bolstering trust.
• Reinforcing value: Share updates about the organization, its finances, and strategic plans for the future. Celebrate your big wins from the year, recognize member contributions, and share what you’re most proud of. Not only does this keep members in the know, but it also reminds them of the organization’s impact.
• Prime members for engagement: Annual meetings set the tone for how members engage with your organization. How you engage with members during this meeting can affect (for good or bad) how they relate to the organization moving forward. If member engagement is sluggish, this is your opportunity to turn things around with careful planning and messaging.

When executed well, annual meetings can energize your membership, solidify trust, and reinforce the value of being part of the organization. They create space for members to interact with leadership, voice their ideas, and feel a deeper sense of connection to your mission and goals.

3 Tricks To Boost Member Engagement at Annual Meetings

Filling seats is one of the most important but challenging aspects of planning an annual meeting. However, the key isn’t necessarily getting attendees but creating an engaging experience that gives members a reason to attend. Every organization is different, but these three tricks can help you boost attendance and member engagement at your next annual meeting.

1. Offer Different Voting Options

Flexible voting is a game-changer for driving member engagement. While digital-first or online voting is always an option for remote annual meetings, more organizations are planning in-person meetings in a post-pandemic world.

Remove as many barriers to participation as possible by offering multiple voting options. As we saw in the 2020 presidential election, people are more open to non-traditional voting options, so now’s the time to try something new. That can include:

• Drive-through voting: This option is perfect for members on a tight schedule or who just prefer a contactless experience.
• In-person voting on paper: Paper ballots are the traditional way of casting votes. Older members tend to prefer this familiar method, making it ideal for members who are less comfortable with technology. With options like our paper ballot voting solutions, you can streamline the creation, distribution, and collection of paper ballots while ensuring accuracy and security during the vote tallying process.
• In-person voting online: Combining the best of technology and real-time engagement, in-person online voting provides members with the convenience of digital tools during the meeting itself. This option can reduce errors, speed up the voting process, and allow for instant results, creating an interactive and seamless experience. When partnering with SBS, you can leverage secure online platforms that integrate directly with your meeting, ensuring ease of use and robust security for all participants.

2. Conduct Thorough Q&A Sessions

Don’t treat your annual meeting as a one-way street. Members are part of your organization, and they need a voice at your annual meeting. A well-executed Q&A session is a powerful way to address member concerns and boost transparency.

Follow these tips to plan effective Q&A sessions:

• Ask for questions ahead of time: You should absolutely leave room for spur-of-the-moment questions, but it can take attendees time to think of them. To avoid the dreaded silence and encourage participation, bring a set of predetermined questions to the Q&A. Solutions like Survey & Ballot Systems’ DirectNomination tool can streamline this process by collecting Q&A in advance, making it easier to prioritize the most relevant issues.
• Make it live: Nobody wants to watch a prerecorded Q&A – members want the opportunity to engage with leadership. Provide live Q&A sessions during the meeting to address spontaneous questions and foster an interactive experience.
• Follow up if necessary: You might not be able to address all member questions at the annual meeting, and that’s okay. Still, remember to follow up on these questions, especially if you promised the member an answer. That’s the key to fostering trust and being as transparent as possible with your members.

3. Invest in Community Ties

Strong community connections are the foundation of any successful membership organization. You can strengthen member engagement and loyalty by demonstrating your organization’s commitment to giving back and fostering meaningful relationships. Plus, it makes your annual meeting much more fun!

Consider these ideas to bring your members together in community:

• Host a charity drive: Organize a food or coat collection as part of your event. Giving back is a great way to foster community and encourage members to show up. Be sure to highlight the drive ahead of time to maximize participation.
• Gifts for the military: Partner with organizations that support active-duty service members and veterans. Collect care packages or holiday gifts to show your appreciation for service members. You can even offer special gifts to members who are either in the service themselves or whose family members are serving.
• Scholarships: Launch a scholarship program for your members’ children. The amount doesn’t need to be large – even $500 can be life-changing for a young student. No parent will turn down free college funds, so this tip alone can boost member engagement. Consider announcing scholarship recipients at the annual meeting to increase engagement.
• Connecting members: New members will follow the lead of existing members. Why not make a good impression? Create opportunities for longtime members to connect with newcomers. This ensures new members feel welcome and supported while giving existing members the satisfaction of helping out.
• Host family events: Annual meetings don’t have to be a boring, adults-only affair. In fact, including kids at your annual meeting could boost attendance because busy parents won’t need to find childcare. From icebreakers to kid-friendly spaces, this approach fosters inclusion and makes your gathering more accessible and memorable.

Turning Meetings Into Moments That Matter

When members feel heard, valued, and connected to your mission, they’re more likely to remain active and engaged long after the annual meeting ends. With proper planning, you can transform your annual meeting from a bureaucratic to-do and into a fun, powerful opportunity for members to connect.

When members thrive, your organization thrives. Simplify annual meetings, voting, and everything in between with Survey & Ballot Systems. Our expert crew of member engagement and voting experts customizes tools for your bylaws, members, and needs. Contact us today to strengthen your connection with members.